Aulophorus barbatus, Viviane, 2002

Righi, Gilberto & Hamoui, Viviane, 2002, Oligochaeta, Naididae Of The West Indies And Adjacent Regions, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 42 (6), pp. 119-167 : 138-139

Aulophorus barbatus n. sp.

( Fig. 3 A-D)

Material : Surinam 120: 2 specimens (Holotype ZU-1322). Habitat :

Limnetic; salinity 0.03%.

Description: One specimen does not have the posterior end and the other one is regenerating the anterior end, the setae of II-V are missing; length 5.0 and 6.5 mm, diameter 360 and 437 µm, number of segments 37 and 38 respetively. The prostomium is triangular as long as it is wide. The dorsally opened oblonge branchial fossa has 3 or 4 pairs of retracted gills and one pair of diverging thin palps. The pharynx extends to IV, the three pairs of septal glands are in IV-VI. The esophagus passes gradually into the intestine, a stomach is missing. Chloragocytes begin at VII. The dorsal vessel is on the left and voluminous commissural vessels are in VIII-XII. The dorsal setae start from V, the regenerating specimens has one hair and one needle per bundle, the other has 1-3 hairs and 1-2 needles per bundle; when there are more than one hair per bundle one of them is longer and thicker. The hair setae are straight, 302-409 µm long, their apical 2/3-3/4 present a thick series of short threads on one side ( Fig. 3A ). The needles are 120-142 µm long, the nodulus is distal, the two main teeth are of similar length or the proximal one is somewhat longer, it is always thicker; there are 2-4 short and thin intermediate teeth ( Fig. 3A ). The ventral setae are 2-4 per bundle in II-V and 1-3 backwards. The setae of II-V are 124- 130 µm long, 4 µm thick, their distal tooth is thinner and a little longer than the proximal one ( Fig. 3B ). From VI backwards the setae are 140-157 µm long, 5- 6 µm thick, the distal tooth is thinner and of similar length or slightly shorter than the proximal ( Fig. 3 C-D). The nodulus is always distal.

Remarks: Aulophorus barbatus belongs to the species group characterized by dorsal setae begining at V and pectinate needle setae formed by A. pectinatus Stephenson, 1931 a (= Dero intermedia Loden & Harman, 1982 = Dero lodeni Brinkhurst, 1986 ), A. indicus Naidu, 1962 and A. tridentatus Hrabe, 1966 . A. barbatus is distinguished from the other three species by their longer and feathered hair setae. The name of the new species refers to its hair setae.

Figures

Fig. 3. Aulophorus barbatus: A, hair and needle. B-D, ventral setae of V, VIII and XXXV.Allonais japonica: E, needle. F-G, ventral setae of II and XII. Scale = 10 µm. Pristina sima: H-I, needles. J- K, ventral setae of IV and X. Scale = 10 µm.